as in cheated
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob
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Recent Examples of shaken down
Law firms are shaken down into submission.
—
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Christopher Bouzy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaken down
Verb
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But no matter the prodding, Terminus never wanted the patrons to feel cheated, so the games, while tricky, were winnable, and the prizes reasonable and fair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Every town has its nostalgic spots—ice cream shops, deli counters, old-school diners—that seem to have cheated time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Verb
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As more families feel squeezed by rising costs and growing debt, credit counseling might offer a path forward.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Apply rooting hormone if desired, then wrap the area tightly with damp sphagnum moss that has been soaked for several hours and squeezed to remove any extra moisture.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
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Pamela Anderson’s progression from over-plucked and busty to fresh-faced and gracefully aging on the red carpet is evidence of culture’s exhaustion with excess.—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
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President Jimmy Carter, stung by that generation’s problems with the Gulf producers, hailed us as the Saudi Arabia of coal and pressured utilities to build coal plants, hence the 50% of the grid that was coal.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
17 May 2026
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Paul took it on the chin, while admitting that the bad reviews stung.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
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By August 2017, its systems were able to beat the world's top players of Dota 2, a multi-player action game.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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They are not gone yet, but West Ham will be relegated on Tuesday if Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Kane unsuccessfully sued Fleischer Studios and Paramount in 1932, alleging Betty Boop ripped off her voice, likeness and scat-singing.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
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The front doors of the business were ripped off as officers investigated Monday morning.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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But technique isn’t where most writers get stuck.—
David O’Neill,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
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Some Cambridge Housing Authority residents are stuck in sweltering temperatures with no air conditioning during the heat on Tuesday and Wednesday.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Wear it as a one-and-done travel outfit, to chill around the house, or for brunch with pals.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
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For this latest test mission, though, while Version 3 looked similar to the previous versions of Starship, the company had done major overhauls to its interior, used brand new versions of its Raptor engines, and utilized a new launch tower for the first time.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaken down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaken%20down. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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